Chapter 121 Yu Xing is Lying, Never Been So Fooled

Chapter 121 Yu Xing Is Lying: Never Been So Fooled

Yu Xing stared back at the two solemn figures before her, her unease mounting—not just for her current predicament, but because their grave demeanor sent her spiraling into anxious thought.

*What’s wrong with Grandma? What could have possibly occurred for them to treat me like this?*

"Yu Xing," Miao Nianzhen said. "Answer the question—this isn’t a casual conversation. Be serious."

Yu Xing’s breath hitched slightly, but she didn’t take offense at Miao Nianzhen’s tone. She trusted that Miao Nianzhen, as the Deputy Minister and Miao Yuanjin’s aunt, was a good person with no ill intent. Yet, she couldn’t suppress her worry for Grandma, her heart racing.

"Grandma’s condition…" Yu Xing hesitated, finding the question difficult to answer because she wasn’t sure what exactly they were asking about. After a moment of thought, she said, "Are you referring to her health? It’s... really bad. She’s at constant risk of her life. The doctors recommended hospitalization and organ transplants."

She added, "I might not be explaining this well—I’m not a professional. You should know, she was previously treated at Seven Central Hospital. Her attending physician would know more than I do."

After hearing Yu Xing’s response, Miao Nianzhen and the silver-haired man exchanged a glance, finding nothing suspicious. Yu Xing’s tone, demeanor, and the content of her words all seemed perfectly normal.

Miao Nianzhen paused for a moment before asking the second question: "During the time you lived with your grandmother, did you ever notice anything… *unusual* about her?"

*Unusual?*

The word made Yu Xing’s pulse spike—not because she thought Grandma was normal, but because her heart raced the moment she heard it.

*Would it count as unusual that despite having a severe illness, Grandma showed no symptoms? That her organs were rotting, yet she was still alive and well, even experiencing a bizarre halt in her condition? That when the restaurant she worked at was overrun by contaminants, everyone died except Grandma?*

The corner of Yu Xing’s lips twitched into what could be described as an obedient smile.

"No," Yu Xing shook her head. "Nothing unusual at all."

Miao Nianzhen and the silver-haired man exchanged another glance. The latter couldn’t help but interject, "You don’t find your grandmother’s illness unusual?"

"You mean that?" Yu Xing blinked. "Her illness is serious, but the doctors said it’s treatable, so… it’s manageable."

Her earnest, clueless demeanor left Miao Nianzhen and the silver-haired man at a loss.

Miao Nianzhen tapped her fingers lightly on the table before posing the third question: "Do you know why your grandmother fell ill? Where was she treated before?"

This, Yu Xing knew—she had the original host’s memories.

"At a clinic in District D called the Budget Clinic, not far from our neighborhood," Yu Xing replied after a brief pause. "As for why she got sick… people just get sick sometimes. Grandma is a defective person, doing heavy labor every day while raising my brother and me alone. All we had to eat was protein gruel… I think it was exhaustion."

Miao Nianzhen was already fully informed about Yu Xing’s family, including when her parents had passed away.

"So how was she treated?" Miao Nianzhen pressed.

"With medicine," Yu Xing said.

"Medicine wouldn’t suffice for her condition," Miao Nianzhen flipped through the documents in her hand. "Why didn’t she seek proper hospital treatment earlier?"

"Because we couldn’t afford it," Yu Xing clenched her hands tightly. "My family was poor, with no insurance. We couldn’t cover hospital expenses."

"But you attended Seventh Middle School," the silver-haired man tapped the files beside him. "I know, the money spent on your two years at Seventh Middle School alone could’ve covered your grandmother’s medical bills."

"..."

Yu Xing suddenly found it hard to speak. "That… was money my brother set aside for my education."

The silver-haired man narrowed his eyes. "You chose school over saving her? Is your grandmother’s well-being that insignificant to you?"

Yu Xing froze, her eyes widening slightly as if needles stabbed her chest. For a moment, she couldn’t tell if the pain was hers or the original Yu Xing’s.

*Didn’t she want to treat Grandma? Of course she did. When they had no money, she gave Grandma pills. When they finally had some, she took her to the hospital.*

*Did the original Yu Xing not want to treat Grandma?*

Memories flooded in—the original Yu Xing hearing Grandma cough in the next room, insisting on taking her to the hospital. Grandma waving her off, saying minor ailments were normal at her age and there was no need. The original Yu Xing persisting, only for Grandma to grow angry.

A family this poor, one slip from ruin… wasn’t something that could be explained in simple words.

"Attending Seventh Middle School was a rare opportunity in my life. My whole family valued it," Yu Xing said, her voice thick with the original’s grief. "If I studied hard enough, I could succeed, earn money, and take Grandma to the hospital—give our family a better life."

Miao Nianzhen observed the girl before her. Her tone remained calm, her gaze as gentle and innocent as before. Yet tears dripped off her jaw—she didn’t even blink.

"What about your brother?" Miao Nianzhen changed the subject.

"He’s gone missing," Yu Xing whispered.

"When? Why? Did you look for him?" the silver-haired man asked.

Yu Xing steadied herself, taking a deep breath. "A year ago. He was taken by a woman."

She glanced at Miao Nianzhen. "Miao Yuanjin knows about this. She helped me search for him."

This, Miao Nianzhen hadn’t been aware of, but she believed Yu Xing wasn’t lying—such a claim would be too easily disproven.

Up until now, Miao Nianzhen had largely trusted Yu Xing.

First, Yu Xing had passed Divine Light screening—no contamination. Second, as the God of Misfortune’s Beloved, her rapid advancement marked her as a future leader for the Federation. Miao Nianzhen held a favorable impression of her, especially since Yu Xing was also close to Yuan Jin—she treated Yu Xing like kin.

Moreover, Yu Xing’s conduct during the interrogation had been impeccable, with no red flags. She was simply a newly ascended Divine Chosen, still at heart a poor child from District D.

By this point, Miao Nianzhen had learned all she needed. She was about to let Yu Xing leave and await further instructions when—

Her comms device buzzed. The screen lit up with a message that made her expression shift to one of shock.

The silver-haired man lurched forward to look, but Miao Nianzhen shielded the screen from him.

She locked eyes with Yu Xing, sharp and probing. "Are you absolutely certain there was *nothing* unusual about your grandmother?"

Yu Xing’s breath hitched. Hadn’t they already asked this? Why repeat it?

She recalled how Miao Nianzhen had seemed ready to wrap things up—until that message arrived, and her demeanor changed drastically.

*What was it? Was it about Grandma? Or… her?*

Yu Xing’s heart slammed against her ribs again. She forced composure. "No, nothing unusual."

This time, her reaction didn’t escape Miao Nianzhen’s notice. Though Yu Xing appeared calm, there was a split-second wince in that instant.

*She was lying.*

Miao Nianzhen’s heart hardened. Any warmth in Miao’s gaze iced over.

She settled back in her chair, leaning back slightly. "You wouldn’t mind if I asked a few questions again, would you?"

Yu Xing opened her mouth—Miao Nianzhen gestured to the silver-haired man.

He stood and circled behind her chair. A mechanical whirr clicked on behind her, sealing the room’s silence.

"What are you going to do?" Yu Xing felt nervous. Was this going to be some kind of intense interrogation?

Just as her mind was racing, what looked like an iron pot was placed over her head.

The silver-haired man was about to leave when Miao Nianzhen said, "Take off her glasses."

Yu Xing's pupils contracted slightly. "No!"

Miao Nianzhen raised an eyebrow, spotting panic on Yu Xing's face.

"...Never mind." Miao Nianzhen waved the silver-haired man back.

Relieved that Miao Nianzhen didn’t forcibly remove her glasses, Yu Xing let out a deep breath. Miao Yuanjin’s aunt was actually pretty reasonable.

The three returned to their previous positions, sitting across the table. Both sides were tense and serious.

"Yu Xing, let me ask you one more time," Miao Nianzhen said. "Are you aware of your grandmother’s condition?"

Yu Xing’s answer remained unchanged. "I only know she's really sick. I think you should ask the doctors at Seven Central Hospital—they'd know better."

As Yu Xing finished speaking, she noticed Miao Nianzhen and the silver-haired man both looked up at the same time.

*Upward? At what? My head?*

Miao Nianzhen looked up at Yu Xing’s head, where a device that looked like a hat was placed. The device had a simple function: detecting lies.

This wasn’t some outdated Old Era technology that relied on heartbeat or brainwave fluctuations to guess deception. Instead, it incorporated certain Divine Skills of the Divine Chosen, making a scientific marvel that couldn’t be replicated. Regardless of whether the subject’s heartbeat changed, if they lied, the machine would reveal it.

She stared at Yu Xing’s head, with a small indicator light.

When someone told the truth, the light would glow white. But if they lied, it turned purple.

Right after Yu Xing finished speaking, Miao Nianzhen watched as the light above her head turned purple.

...

*She was lying.*

Miao Nianzhen had to face the truth. More than just anger at being lied to, she felt profound disappointment. Could someone like this really betray the Federation, humanity, and even the Moon God?

She didn’t react immediately but continued questioning, "Have you noticed anything unusual about your grandmother?"

"No," Yu Xing answered without hesitation.

On the machine, the light remained purple.

She closed her eyes, took a slow, deep breath. Then, almost stubbornly, she continued, "Why did your grandmother fall ill? Where was she treated? How was she treated?"

"Why did your brother disappear..."

As Yu Xing answered, the light occasionally turned white—such as when she explained her grandmother’s illness and where she had been treated. But this only fueled Miao Nianzhen’s anger, because it proved the machine wasn’t malfunctioning. Yu Xing was truly lying.

Yu Xing appeared so innocent yet was lying so much. Miao Nianzhen had nearly been fooled, and it made her furious. She hadn't been toyed with like this in a long time!